Parachute



H. BLACKBURN.

PARACHUTE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. I3 1919.

1,328,413. Patented Jan. 20,, 1920.

'3 SHEETSSHEET I.

H. BLACKBURN.

PARACHUTE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13. I919.

1,328,413. Patented Jan. 20,1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Patented an. 20, 1920.

H. BLACKBURN.

PARACHUTE.

A-PPLIEATION FILED AUG. 13.1919.

HAROLD BLACKBURN, F DONCASTEB, ENGLAND.

rnnaonurn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 20, 1920.

Application filed August 18, 1919. Serial No. 817,109.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD BLACKBURN,

I a" subject of the King of England, residing at Doncaster, in the count of York, England, have invented certam new and useful Iin rovements in Parachutes, of which the fol owing is a specification.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to parachutes, and has for its rincipal object to provide means where y a parachute when not .in use may be neatly and compactly closed in such a manner as to insure its rapid and certain opening during a descent, without any risk of fouling or entanglement of its respective suspension cords. A further object of the invention is to provide adequate protection for the rigging cords and fabric of the umbrella portion, when the parachute is packed, so that these parts may not be accidentally damaged by chafing against the supports provided for the parachute when carried in air craft.

In the accompanying drawings, which show one method of carrying out this invention,.

Figure 1 is an elevation of the extended parachute omitting small details of construction.

Fig. 2 to a larger scale than Fig. 1 shows a side view of the parachute closed.

Fig. 3 is a plan of the hoop.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the hoop, partly in section and showing the manner of stow-..

ing the ortions of the rigging cords which depend rom it.

Fig. 5 .is a side section of a part of the hogp showing the skirt and its pockets, an

Fig. 6 shows the lower part of the parachute when extended.

Like letters indicate like out the drawings. I

The rigging cords A, connected to the umbrella portion B, are, at a convenient position above the eye A where they meet, spaced around and secured to the edge of a hoop C. This hoop is'strung with cords C disposed so as to form a net, which besides givin added strength to the hoop also forms a p atforln through which air can freely pass, and non which the umbrella 'ortlon B cart be parts throughaid. when the parachute Around the edge of the hoo C is secured a skirt D of flexible materia such as canvas whose free end D extends upwardly outslde the rigging cords A, and is wide enough to allow for their spread. Pockets E, one for each rigging-cord; with their open ends directed upwardly, are placed around the inside of the skirt D, the. cords A extendinglengthwise through them. Suffic1ent space is provided in each pocket to recelve the completely coiled or folded rigg1ng cord for which it is provided, when the parachute is closed.

The upper edge B of the pockets is extended somewhat above the side seams E and is continued around the skirt D for a pur ose to be hereunder set forth.

ost conveniently allthe pockets E are constituted by an lnner skirt united by the seams E to the outer skirt D in the manner shown in Fig; 5.

Eyeleted tabs D are secured to the outer side of the skirt D and are spaced around it at a convenient height to receive a cord F which secures the closed-up parachute, (see Fig. 2).

The manner of closing the parachute is as follows Each rigging cord A is coiled into its respective pocket E until its point of attachment to the umbrella fabric B is reached. This portion of the latter is usually one of a series of depending tags of fabric B and each of these tags is folded back for a portion of its length before being tucked into the pocket E in such a manner as to offer some little resistance against withdrawal. The fabric of the umbrella portion B is then carefully and evenly distributed over the netted platform of the frame C and toward the skirt constituted by the pockets E, and the outer skirt D, which has during the above process been'held'in an extended position, is then rolled along its edge D inwardly. In the process of rolling, the fabric of the umbrella B is also rolled up with it and thus they form, when completely rolled together, a snug bundle of annular form (shown in Fig. 2) whose inner edges approach one another in the middle and at their under sides are supported by the nut floor of the frame.

The cord F is then assed through the eyes of the tabs D so tt the skirt is drawn tightly toward its center, thus securing it against accidental, unrolling. This cord F may constitute the breaking cord by which the parachute is released and may be connected to the usual static rope attached to the aircraft for this purpose.

It will be seen that when the parachute is in use and the releasing cord has been broken by the static rope becoming taut, the umbrella fabric will emerge from the case and be inflated, partly by pressure of air below and partly by rarefaction thereof above it. The manner in which it was rolled prevents air escaping laterally until a certain degree of inflation is assured. The rigging cords are thereafter drawn from their pockets without risk of entanglement with one another and the parachute assumes its active position and form.

Afurther feature of the invention is the provision upon the network of the hoop of a plurality of distance pieces G, shown in chain lines, such as balls of wood, rubber, or other appropriate material which may be threaded on the strands of the netting. These serve to protect the vulnerable parts of the fabric or the under parts of the network from contact with any floor or partitions or the like against which the parachute is stored ready for use.

To protect the lower parts of the rigging cords A and assist in packing them closely to the under side of the netting, the ends of the rigging cords at the eye A may have secured to them a piece of fabric H, shaped, when spread open, to closely fit around the edge of the frame C. An elastic cord I-l may be secured around the edge of this fabric H so as to lie in a groove C formed around the edge of the frame C. Thus when the parachute is packed, the rigging cords below the frame can be neatly stowed against the netting and there held by the stretched fabric H, only the eye A for the load sling then protruding. When the parachute is putin use the fabric H readily releases itself from the hoop C and the effect of the elastic cord H is to close in the edges of the fabric H- as shown in Fig. 6. Thus the fabric forms no obstruction to air passing through the hoop. As an additional means of insuring this effect the rigging cords A where they converge upon each other are joined together at the point K, and thence continue parallel and close to each other down to the load ring.

To provide life-saving means if a descent has to be made over water, a belt of buoyant construction J indicated by chain lines in Fig. 6, such as an inflated rubber tube joined at its ends or a belt of cork segments, or other known buoyant material may be provided upon the parachute. This may either be securely fixed around the frame C or may be connected.to it by turnbuckles or an equivalent fastening by which the beltcarli1 readily be connected or disconnected at W1 What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a parachute the combination of an umbrella part, a load-carrying hook, rigging cords at one end attached to the umbrella part, and at the other end to said hook, a frame around which the rigging cords are spaced and secured intermediate of their ends, a platform of netting stretched across said frame, a skirt of flexible material secured to and extending upwardly of said frame externally of the rigging ropes, and means for drawing together the free edges of the skirt, substantially as set forth.

2. In a parachute the combination of an umbrella part, a load-carrying hook, rigging cords at one end attached to the umbrella part, and at the other end to said hook, a frame around which the rigging cords are spaced and secured intermediate of their ends, a platform of netting stretched across said frame, a skirt of flexible material secured to and extending upwardly of said frame externally of the rigging ropes, pockets (one for each rigging cord) spaced around the inner side of said skirt with their open ends toward the umbrella part, and means for drawing together the free edges of the skirt, substantially as set forth.

3. In a parachute the combination ofan umbrella part, a load-carrying hook, rigging cords at one end attached to the 11mbrella part, and at the other end to said hook, a frame around which the rigging cords are spaced and secured intermediate of their ends, a platform of netting stretched across said frame, a skirt of flexiblevmaterial secured to and extending upwardly of said frame externally of the rigging ropes, pockets (one for each rigging cord) spaced around the inner side of said skirt with their open ends toward the unibrella part, a second or inner skirt attached to the inner sides of said pockets to extend beyond the upper ends of their side seams. and means for drawing together the free edges of the skirt, substantially as set forth. 1

4. In a parachute the combination of an umbrella part, a load-carrying hook, rigging cords at one end attached to the umbrella part, and at the other end to said hook, a frame around which the rigging cords are spaced and secured intermediate of their ends, a platform of netting stretched a ross said frame, a skirt of flexible material secured to and extending upwardly of said frame externally of the rigging ropes. pockets (one for each rigging cord) spaced around the inner side of said skirt with their open ends toward the umbrella part, a second or inner skirt attached to the inner sides of said pockets to extend beyond the upper ends of their side seams, eyelets spaced I around the exterior of the outer skirt afore said, and a cord constituting a draw cord threaded through said eyelets, substantially as set forth.

5. In a parachute the combination of an umbrella part, a load carrying hook, rigging cords at one end attached to the umbrella part, and at the other end to said hook, a frame around which the rigging cords are spaced and secured intermediate of their ends, a platform netting stretched across said frame, a skirt of flexible material secured to and extending upwardly of said frame externally of the rigging ropes, pockets (one for each rigging cord) spaced around the inner side of said skirt with their open ends toward the umbrella part, a second or inner skirt attached to the inner sides of said pockets to extend beyond the upper ends of their side seams, eyelets spaced around the exterior of the outer skirt aforesaid, a cord constituting a draw cord threaded through said eyelets, a cover of flexible material secured to the rigging cords at their junction with the load-carrying hook aforesaid, to extend across the underside of the frame, a hole pierced in said cover for the load-carrying hook, an elastic cord attached around the edge of said cover, and a groove in the outer edge of the frame aforesaid to be engaged by the said elastic cord, substantially as set forth.

6. In a parachute, thecombination of an umbrella part, a load-carrying hook, rigging cords at one end attached to the umbrella part, and at the other end to said hook, a frame around which the rigging cords are spaced and secured intermediate of their ends, a platform of netting stretched across said frame, a skirt of flexible material secured to and extending upwardly of said frame externally of the rigging ropes, pockets, (one for each rigging cord) spaced around the inner side of said skirt with their open ends toward the umbrella part, a second or inner skirt attached to the inner sides of said pockets to extend beyond the upper ends of their side seams, eyelets spaced around the exterior of the outer skirt aforesaid, a cord constituting a draw cord threaded through said eyelets, a cover of flexible material secured to the rigging cords at their junction with the load-carrying hook;

. part, and at the other end to said hook, a

frame around which the rigging cords are spaced and secured intermediate of their ends, a platform of netting stretched across said frame, a skirt of flexible material secured to and extending upwardly of said frame externally of the rigging ropes, pockets (one for each rigging cord) spaced around the inner side of said skirt with their open ends toward the umbrella part, a second or inner skirt, attached to the inner sides of said pockets to extend beyond the upper ends of their side seams, eyelets spaced around the exterior of the outer skirt aforesaid, a cord constituting a draw-cord threaded through said eyelets, a cover of flexible material secured to the rigging cords at their junction with the load-carrying hook aforesaid, to extend across the underside of the frame, a hole pierced in said cover for the load-carrying hook, an elastic cord attached around the edge of said cover, and a groove in the outer edge of the frame aforesaid to be engaged by the said elastic cord, distance pieces carried upon the network of the frame, and a buoyant device detachably secured around the frame aforesaid, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this s cification.

AROLD BLACKBURN. 

